Occult Witches – Sorrow’s Pyre
Release Date: 12th July 2024
Label: Black Throne Productions
Bandcamp
Genre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Blues Rock.
FFO: Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden.
Review By: Mark Waight
If you are constantly pining for the good old days when life was much simpler, then new album Sorrow’s Pyre from Canadian Hard Rock band Occult Witches maybe just what you need to fill that nostalgic black hole in your life. Sorrow’s Pyre is the 4th studio album from intoxicatingly trippy band Occult Witches, who successfully combine that 70s retro sound with strands of blues and baroque classical music to create an authentic old school experience. This is the stuff that will instantly have you digging those dusty old flares out from the back of the wardrobe (let’s hope they still fit).
Canadian band Occult Witches is Vanessa San Martin (vocals), Danick Cournoyer (bass), Alec Marceau (guitar) and Eliot Sirois (drums).
After a short atmospheric Intro, we quickly get into it with groovy opening track Malice. Its gentle and velvety beginning reels us skilfully and tactfully in before things properly kick off with a feast of retro style riffs that carry you away on a veritable kaleidoscope of rich rocking psychedelic wall of sound. Occult Witches have now set out their stall, and we are just about to hear what other fare they have to offer, what a treat.
Tumbling Through the Dark swiftly picks up the baton and drives us forward with its heavier blues theme that just screams out loud of bygone festivals as it races through at a fiery pace. The slower in parts, Faustain Bargain gifts us some of the best guitar work on the whole album as it teases and tantalizes us for the duration. You can simply hear the passion flying out from the fingertips to the strings, wow!
Next up, Flesh and Bones has just about everything a good Hard Rock composition needs. I particularly liked the nod to the early Iron Maiden sound, which works so well with some of the blacker elements. Vanessa San Martin’s vocals are spot on!
Instrumental song Interlude in E-Flat Minor adds something a little lighter to the mix, as well as delivering a welcome halfway break.
Firmly back in the groove again, The Fool rocks you right to the core once more as we return to that retro infused heady cocktail from the old school drinks cabinet with just about the right amount of ice to make it very cool. The step back in time continues with Sorrow, a wickedly fast-paced song with a strong essence of Black Sabbath, helping deliver a much darker twist to proceedings.
Last up Bluesman (Sunrise Cocaine) does exactly that with a deep blues thread running right through it from start to finish. An absolute classic track that is most certainly not to be sniffed at!
Sorrow’s Pyre by Occult Witches perfectly captures the current retro movement in music in the same way a genuine time capsule would, as it pays homage to the founding roots of this great genre of music. Occult Witches give us a brief insight into our musical past as we take a time machine back to the 70s with their latest album, Sorrow’s Pyre. A must-have listen for all fans of the early days of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, Occult Witches and Sorrow’s Pyre are worthy of further investigation, so check them out.
(3.5 / 5)
